


Mothers and Daughters

by dragonwings948



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005), Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio), The Diary of River Song (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: Audio: The Diary of River Song Series 03, Family Feels, Feels, Hurt/Comfort, Mother-Daughter Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:28:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22562521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonwings948/pseuds/dragonwings948
Summary: River and Amy meet on a regular basis to chat and catch up—but one day, after River has just come from meeting the Fifth Doctor and running into Madame Kovarian, Amy can tell that River needs her more than ever.
Relationships: Amy Pond & River Song, The Doctor/River Song
Comments: 14
Kudos: 49





	Mothers and Daughters

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this after giving TDoRS a second listen about a month ago, but majorly rewrote it today. This is one of those fics that just emotionally drained me to write, but I think it was worth it because I can always use some more River and Amy feels. Please enjoy! :D 
> 
> Oh, and if you haven’t listened to TDoRS Series 3 you’ll still be able to follow, but this does contain spoilers!

The cafe was never crowded. 

Amy figured it was one of the reasons why River had insisted on it in the first place. The food was barely edible and the coffee was mediocre, but if River suddenly appeared inside with a flash of energy, no one took notice. The two of them could talk freely of things far beyond this world without worry of being overheard. 

This time, when Amy entered the spacious dining area, River was already there; one of only three total customers in the place. She would have been easy to spot, anyway, with her wild hair bouncing as she scribbled furiously in her diary. Amy noted that while normally River had coffee, or sometimes—inexplicably—something stronger, there was no drink in front her today. 

Amy approached, waiting for River to take notice of her presence, but she didn’t look up until Amy took the seat across from her. River’s eyes met hers. She blinked, as if awaking from a dream, and something like relief made her expression fall slack. “Mother,” she breathed. 

The endearment took Amy by surprise, but it also served as a warning. “What’s wrong?” she asked. 

River managed to look slightly embarrassed, like she was only just realising that she had let her guard down too much. She put her pen to the side and closed her diary, laying a hand on top of it. She regained some composure as she smiled. “Just memories, that’s all. I’m glad to see you.” 

Amy quirked an eyebrow. “You might be able to pull that one on the Doctor, but I’m not that stupid. You’re writing in your diary, so you’ve seen him again. What happened? Do I need to slap him?” 

River chuckled half-heartedly. “A bit late for that, I’m afraid.” She sighed. “I did see the Doctor again, but younger than I’ve ever seen him before.” Her lips twitched into an almost-smile. “Blonde hair, a stupid cricket outfit, celery on his lapel…”

“And I thought the bow tie was bad,” Amy muttered. 

River had grown silent again. She wore a pensive frown. 

Trying to coax back the River she knew, Amy insisted: “Tell me what it’s like; meeting a younger version of him.”

But apparently it was the wrong thing to say, because there was endless sadness in River’s eyes as she began. “It’s only the second time I’ve met a different Doctor than the one you know. It is rather fun.” Some energy returned to her expression as she met Amy’s eyes to explain. “He gets so flustered around me, and he doesn’t even really know why.” She huffed a short laugh that morphed into a sigh. “And that’s also why it hurts. Something about me echoes back through all the Doctor’s regenerations, even the ones who haven’t met me yet. I can see it in their eyes. They feel like they know me, but they don’t. And when he says my name with a blank look in his eyes…” 

Amy couldn’t even begin to comprehend the pain River was feeling. She wished there was something she could do, but it was the destiny River had chosen: to love the Doctor, despite the heartbreak it caused. And yet she remained as secure and sure of herself as ever. 

“River.” Amy reached out and covered her hand. “You are stronger than anybody I know.”

River flipped her hand over to grip Amy’s fingers. She smiled. “I get that from you, you know.” Once again, her happiness didn’t remain for long. She pressed her lips together and lowered her gaze, obviously contemplating something. “There’s more.” 

Amy squeezed her hand. 

“I saw...Kovarian.” She met Amy’s eyes only briefly as she said the words. 

At just the mention of that name, Amy felt anger flare up within her. Rage boiled in her gut. If she hated anybody in the universe it was that woman—the one who had taken everything from her. 

It all came gushing out of River, like she had been waiting for a chance to let it go. She explained about Kovarian’s clones and her own feeling of failure as she hadn’t been able to save them; the death of the younger Doctor, which had come as yet another failure; her capture and her time back in the place where she had been brought up. River talked of fear and anger, heartbreak and disgust. Amy felt the whirlwind of emotions as if they were tangible. She suddenly understood why River had been so relieved to see her this time. 

When she was done, Amy hardly knew what to say. There were times when she thought with bitterness on her own life—the Doctor’s visits becoming less frequent, no kids to take care of besides the one who went gadding about the universe and occasionally stopped by for a chat; but she considered how much River endured on a daily basis, how much she had suffered. In comparison, her complaints seemed so small and insignificant. 

One word came into her head, and she pushed it out as her only intelligible thought: “Stay.” 

River’s eyes widened. “What?” 

“Stay with Rory and me. Just for a bit.” She could almost physically see the wall come up in River’s eyes and she persisted, “Come on, even you need a holiday sometimes.” 

River slipped her hand from Amy’s and avoided her gaze. “I really don’t think…”

Amy sighed. “Oh, stop it. Don’t do the whole ‘Doctor thing’ where you pretend like being alone all the time is cool.” 

River smiled a little, but Amy could still see she wasn’t convinced. Amy would respect whatever River chose, but she knew what she needed probably better than she did. After being with Madame Kovarian, who had reminded her of hatred and fear, she needed someone to show her love. 

“Melody,” Amy insisted softly, pulling her trump card. But she truly meant it, too—right now, she saw River as her daughter who needed her. 

The name made River look sharply up at her. Her gaze softened—and with it, Amy saw, her resolve. 

“Maybe just one day,” she hazarded. 

“Four,” Amy countered with a grin. 

River smiled, shaking her head.  _ “Two.  _ That’s all.” 

And yet, one week later, she didn’t refuse when Amy and Rory asked her—for the fifth day in a row—to just stay one more night. 

**Author's Note:**

> As I was writing this, I had a thought that I might like to write a sort of sequel to this where the Pond family is all hanging out together and the Doctor crashes it or something—just a cute moment after this fic! Let me know if you’d like to see it! :)


End file.
